Chapter 18 - Training Time

Fise, Ann, Seah and Andrew followed instructor Srap through Floor C, all the way down the hallway. At the end it split off in half, going left and right, the wall in front lined with door and the doors there all lead to separate training rooms. They entered such a room right now. It was big, but not overly so, about a 20 meter circle in diameter. In the centre was a raised portion, the ring. On the walls of the room there were benches and lockers. Instructor Srap turned to them.

"Right recruits. Listen up, today we will be doing some sparring training. This is somewhat to make up for the missed chance to fight against one another on our trip, but this is different. No abilities are allowed to be used. Aura is allowed against other Guarded. If you're fighting Miss Glass Cannon, don't use it."

He went through the rules, winning conditions, and safety. "Yall don't strike me as the types to kill eachother, or even fight, but better safe than sorry."

This all happened after Fise, Ann and Seah returned from their trip. They went to the infirmary to ask about Fise's injuries. No one could tend to him, so they told him how to treat it. As Fise was healing, Ann decided to ask their instructor about learning how to fight. That lead to this.

"Right, Andrew, go against Seah. Ann, you'll go against Fise," he turned to him "No aura, we need to make sure you don't use your ability."

Andrew and Seah walked onto the ring. They wore training clothing, being some shorts for Andrew, and shorts along with a sports bra for Seah. They stood opposite each other in the ring and Instructor Srap began to count down.

He had already marked them again, so he could tell when they were about to lose.

Fise looked on with interest. He had debated this. Between Andrew and Seah, who would win? If talking about abilities, Andrew was cheating. But abilities are more about how you use them than what they are. And this match didn't allow abilities, so it was a moot point. It was up to aura dexterity, and power. Seah was quick, but Andrew was strong.

"Begin!"

They approached each other.

Seah threw a testing punch. The test proved that an approach like that wasn't going to work, as Andrew almost grabbed her. She moved around and attacked from the side, which Andrew blocked, before launching a kick. It hit air as Seah flowed behind him and launched a quick punch to his neck, before kicking the back of his knee, cause Andrew to be stunned and fall on the ground. Just as Seah was about to kick him out the ring, she was taken down by some aura punch he launched earlier when he kicked. Andrew stood and looked at her. She got up and stared at him. They both charged.

Andrew launched aura punches out, going around Seah to come back from behind while Andrew charged forwards to attack. Seah jumped. She launched some aura punches that Andrew easily blocked, but that was enough. She was suddenly in front of him, crouching like a tiger. He was blocking a strike from above, and she was below. A quick strike went up to his gut, and a palm caught his chin as it lowered. The aura punches turned inwards, heading straight back. Seah kicked off of Andrew, knocking him back, before pushing off of his aura punches, and leaving some of her own. They collided back into him, not pushing him back much, before hers hit him and slid Andrew across the ring, almost out of it.

Andrew clutched his mid-section, where Seah's aura punches landed, pain blooming out. Seah was faster and more agile, as well as clearly having more experience. But he won't be defeated so easily. Andrew often used a false face of confidence when fighting, purposefully making mistakes to lower the opponent's guard. He knew that not doing that now was putting him at a disadvantage, but he wanted to see how it would be in a true fight. He would lose.

Andrew stretched, and then quickly spread his arms to the side, his aura blasting out, before turning into segments. Aura punches flew, tens of them, and Andrew flew like an arrow after them, towards Seah. She immediately dashed to the side, but Andrew suddenly stopped, and the punches bent, changing direction. He smiled, before leaping forwards.

Seah stopped her dash and twisted backwards to dodge, but Andrew was there. He elbowed the back of her head, before delivering a knee upwards, into her midsection. She went up in the air and he grabbed her legs before smashing her into the ground. The aura punches swiveled and charged. They all impacted where Andrew wanted them to.

Fise had his eyes wide, almost matching his jaw, while Ann was bent forwards trying to understand what was going on. Fise looked at instructor Srap, but the man didn't look worried, so he turned his attention back to the fight. 'Andrew was this good the entire time? He's almost at the level as that woman!' a flash of a tree, blood stains on the bottom made him jolt and close his eyes, before focusing again on the match. Who will win?

Andrew dashed backwards from where the attack landed, panting and trying to regain his aura. Seah slowly stood up, her arms shaking, and blood coming out of a split lip, but took a fighting stance once again. She was about to dash forwards again when Andrew put up a hand, the other on his midsection.

"I forfeit." he said, swallowing some blood.

Srap clapped.

"Well done recruits! Magnificent fighting. We'll go over what you need to improve on after Ann and Fise get a turn." he turned to them, "Alright recruits, up ya go."

Fise and Ann walked up onto the ring, and faced each other. This was more dangerous than Andrew and Seah's fight. They wouldn't have auras in this match, it all depended on the body. Fise took a stance similar to one of a boxer, he remembered how that man weaved and dodged and rolled under punches when training hand to hand combat. Fise was not good at hand to hand, or at guns. So bad he was still the only one not allowed live ammunition, back at the orphanage. An image of fallen rocks and bricks popped into his mind, like a mountain, with red springs weaving out, and then a hand reached out to grab him. Fise dodged to the side, taking a few steps more to create distance. He hadn't heard Instructor Srap say to begin, but Ann was here so he must have. She turned towards him, a kick already next to his chin.

Fise ducked under it, barely dodging. Ann made the kick reach the ground, and used it to spin more. A second kick hit Fise in the side of his head, making his right ear go deaf, and the ground move and bend below him. He was dangerously close to the edge, and had to get some distance. Quickly, he almost ran backwards, but not quick enough, as Ann ran up to him and delivered a straight punch which he blocked, followed by another one that made his arms go numb. A kick swung towards him and he stepped backwards, dodging.

A chance appeared, before she could launch another attack Fise threw a punch. Ann balanced herself just in time, grabbing it. She turned, putting Fise's arm over her shoulder.

'What the-'

Fise swung through the air and something almost cracked as his back landed on the floor, outside of the arena. Fise tried to breathe but couldn't, the air blown out of his lungs. He raised his hand up, and showed the signs he recently learned, sticking his thumb up.

"Good, huff, match."

His hand fell back down as he breathed more.

"Yeah..." said Ann, walking off the ring.

"Recruits, that match was nice! Well done! Ann, you moved with great skill, Fise, I see you haven't had much training, waiting for Ann to start, but that's fine! Recruits, as of today, I'll make sure you can break bone! Bend steel! Tear flesh! And protect! Be the light of hope in this world, against the tyrant, the colossal Company! For we shall make sure it burns in the sun!"

"Yes sir!"

...

Ann awoke, the pains in her body acting up. This happened frequently during the past few nights, but it didn't impede her sleep. She was the weakest, she knew. Out of everyone, she was the most likely to die, to get hurt, to not recover.

'Ain't gonna let that stop me.'

She stood, taking in a sharp breath. Her abdomen had a few bruises, as well as her back. They needed time to heal, and she had been given the time. Her goal was to not need it, one way or another. Taking a few steps, she opened the door to her room.

Walking out, she went to order a bottle of water from the dispenser next to the door. She saw him in the couch, looking up at the ceiling, arm over his eyes. She tapped the screen, and a bottle thumped into the dispenser. Opening, she took it and drank. Finishing it, she put it into the other container and pressed the button to send it into the bin. It was gone the next second. Turning back she sat on the couch opposite him.

"Hey Fise."

No response.

She tapped on his arm, and he suddenly jolted.

"Ah!" He looked around bewildered a bit, before focusing on her, and wiped his eyes.

"Sorry I startled you, I didn't realise you were sleeping." Ann said, surprised at his reaction.

Fise looked at her for a moment.

"Oh yeah, uh sure."

"What?"

He looked around a bit before shaking his head.

"Yeah, I was sleeping. But I can't for long."

"I can't sleep either." Ann said. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes, an how his were reddish.

'He must have been working hard, he needs to slow down a bit. He is younger after all.'

"Hey, isn't your birthday in like 3 days? This Friday?"

"Yeah."

"Thats nice! What present do you want?"

"Presents?"

"Yeah, gifts, you know?"

Fise looked at her blankly.

"It's when you give someone something without expecting anything in return. Have you never had any presents?"

"No."

"What did you do on your birthday then?"

"Nothing special, it was just another day really."

Ann looked at Fise a little shocked.

"Then its decided!" she suddenly said, smacking the coffee table. "On Friday, we'll celebrate your birthday!" She smiled widely.

Fise smiled back.

"I hope we don't have to do anything on that day." she said, leaning back.

'Doing something... oh yeah, how could I forget!' Fise suddenly remembered.

...

"Come in!" said the leader of the Radience, Anutrof Sicilefni Mutaf, writing something on a piece of paper.

Fise walked in, accompanied by an old woman, though her muscles rippled.

"Thank you Miss Nant." said Mutaf, nodding. Nant nodded back and left.

"Thank you for letting me in Miss Nant!" said Fise. The door closed.

"Please, Fise, have a seat."

Fise did so and looked at Mr.Mutaf.

"So what have you requested this meeting for?" said Mutaf, narrowing his eyes on Fise's face, his dark circles and tired expression. 'Was he not sleeping?'

"I hope the training isn't too hard, is it?" he asked. Fise looked a little startled and pressed his hands up.

"Ah no, its not about that. The training is fine. It's just that I have some things I want to tell you."

"I'm listening."

"Well, a few days ago, me and some of my friends, Ann and Seah, went into the city. We had fun the whole day, playing games at the 'arcade', getting 'ice cream'..."

'Ah to be young and-'

"And while there i heard of someone trying to attack the Radience."

Mutaf leaned in closer.

"What did you hear?"

"I didn't hear much, but they started off by saying they hope no 'lamps'," Mutaf twitched "were around. They then said they'll meet in a week at King's Way, due to there being a factory there. They also mentioned its next to a park."

"Thanks for telling me, Fise. I'll look into it. When was this again?"

"Friday." Mutaf wrote it down. Looking up he saw Fise, his eyes almost drooping, and his leg bouncing up and down at a fast pace, his finger weaving each other. He closed his eyes. He opens them and he reaches under his desk, through some folders, and finds it. Pulling it out he puts it on the table. Fise looks at it, confused.

"Fise, how long have you been a Guarded?"

"2, um 2 weeks I think?"

"And, I apologise for this, but how many people have you witness die?"

Fise remembered. The brain splattering on the walls the blood weaving through the rocks, the-

A hand descends on his shoulder, and he jolts, looking around, adrenaline pumping. He looks

at the man in front of him. Mutaf's face is gentle, he understands.

"Thank you, and I apologise for the unwanted question, Fise.I thank you for your information, like I said. I'll be preparing. But since you are already here, I'll like to inform you of your first mission."

'First mission?'

"Nothing serious I'm sure. Here, this is a map to a warehouse. Its part of an orphanage we run in the city, no, more like we just fund the orphanage. Well, some of the food stock for it has been vanishing, the count doesn't add up. Its probably some thief, so I'll like for your team to protect the warehouse. I'm sure that'll be easy enough for you, it'll be part of your training." with that he nodded, and Fise stood up to leave.

...

Fise, Andrew and Ann walked towards the destination. It was located more towards the outskirts of the city, close to the orphanage. They can't show their aura, so they had to walk for a while. Fise looked behind him, trying to find Instructor Srap, but he couldn't. He turned back and touched his neck, feeling the mark there. The sun was high in the sky, it was just a bit past 12. People walked around them, ignoring them. They were dressed as the poor after all, black shirts and shorts with some black shoes. Fise stopped time, looking around at the surroundings inside of it, before it resumed. Training was tiring, and he had to do 10% more because he kept stopping time. Well, it would be higher than that, since he could now stop time for-

"We're here." announced Andrew.

Before them was a large, rectangular building, made of concrete. Andrew took out a set of keys, putting them in the lock and twisting to open the door. Fise hadn't seen something like that before, but he guessed it was to protect against hackers. Ann had told him about them, and they decided they should watch a 'movie' about them on his birthday, which was tomorrow. Ann also suggested a horror movie, and Fise couldn't wait. He had never watched a movie, let alone a horror or one about hackers. Andrew pushed the door opened and revealed shelves stock full of boxes, supplies and tools. From the high windows sunlight streamed inside. Looking to the right, Fise saw what must be the place the packages are taken from, judging by the 'door' which he learnt was made to fold upwards and allow vehicles in.

To the left, last the aisles and rows of shelves, was the office and above that more boxes, though no shelves, extra space secured with a railing and the only way up seemed to be a metal ladder. '

This place seems to be quite nice.' Fise thought.

"Alright," said Andrew, closing and locking the door behind them. "We'll each hold one entrance. From the floor plan, there seems to be this one, and one more door in the opposite corner. I'll watch this door, Fise you go watch the other side. Ann, go up above the office and be prepared to snipe at them."

Andrew said.

Fise nodded, and so did Ann, before they walked to their respective places. Fise stood there for a bit, but sat down after 2 minutes, looking around at all the stuff. Food, hammers, nails, screws, furniture, paper. There seemed to be everything here. Much more stuff than Fise ever saw before at his old orphanage. His old home...

He slapped himself. Hard. The last few days, they were all training, and training, him trying to get his mind off the last week. But now, he couldn't train, not when someone could just come in and find him. And not right before his birthday. Ann popped her head above the railing, looking at Fise.

"You okay?" she asked, a little concerned.

"Yeah, just trying to stay focused." Fise turned to her and smiled.

"Same. Its boring~. And we have to stay here till tomorrow?"

"At least we get to watch a movie, right?"

"Haha! Yeah, we do!"

"What are they about?"

"Oh well I said we'll watch a movie about hackers right? Well I think I have one its very old and not really about hacking, but its cool!"

"What happens?"

"Can't say~. The other, well the other is a horror movie."

...

Night arrived. Fise cautiously looked around him. According to Andrew, and instructor Srap, if a thief were to strike, it would be at night. Fise put aura in only his eyes, seeing perfectly in the darkness of the warehouse. He heard a small sound and quickly turned to it. Ann was up on the railing and flinched when Fise looked at her.

"Woah! Your eyes are glowing."

"They are? I thought you couldn't see auras?"

"I can see them, just not the same as you. Creation Magic allows me to produce similar energies to Aura, and therefore I'm able to see it. However its just a glow and light bending a bit."

"Oh, to me Auras look like flames."

"Flames?"

"Yeah, and they're all different colours. My one is gold-ish, Andrew's is dark grey and Seah's is scarlet, I think that's its name?"

"Cool. I didn't know that."

"Nobody told you?"

"Nah, haven't met many Guarded really."

"Oh, that's... good."

Ann yawned. "Well, I'm off to sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Fise returned to being vigilant, they could have been snuck up on right there and then. He couldn't underestimate this thief, even if it was just a normal person. He knew deep down that they couldn't hurt him, but better safe than sorry. And he also didn't want to hurt them.

...

Day broke, and they all were up and ready. Fise looked down at his Emergency Box, looking at the time in the corner. It was just past 10 am, and they had 2 more hours to go before they left. It seemed the thief won't arrive. Fise leaned up against the wall, the door next to him. He wasn't worried. Thinking about it, they would hear the thief before they came in, and prepare to take them on. The doors were all locked, and the windows are made of glass that, according to instructor Srap, was bullet proof. Fise's heart pumped hard, adrenaline rushing, and he jumped to the left, feeling something swipe next to his throat. He activated his aura and looked. From the door was a man, his arm outstretched. He smiled.

"Close."

'That was indeed close, any closer and my throat would have been-'

Something stopped him from breathing. A clump, something tightening. He clutched his neck, and tried to breathe but couldn't.

'My throat!'

The man charged Fise. The man had black hair and his aura was a light blue. He was wearing something Fise found familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it. Then he remembered, seeing something on the man's chest. An emblem. It was half cat and half a house, a simple drawing but it reminded Fise. A bridge, a man, a tree and a woman, a road and another man. It was an emblem similar to what they wore. 'This must mean this guy's from the Company!'

Fise blocked a blow to his ear, swerving under it and delivering a punch to the liver, which was blocked, the man stepping back, and twisting around, Fise catching his heel just before it reached his temple, but before he could twist the man to the floor, the man lifted himself up using Fise, who let go, and needed to dodge a fist coming from above, which cracked the floor. There were no brakes, and an uppercut showed that, so close that Fise felt the air move against his lips. Quickly, he swiped at the man's legs, who just jumped backwards to dodge, but Fise didn't let up, he twisted around and kicked off the floor to launch himself up to the opponent.

A left hook met with a swerve and a straight punch met with a grab, moving the man's hand over his shoulder to flip him that was countered with a kick to the back of Fise's knees, followed up by a kick to the abdomen that Fise barely blocked, launching him into the concrete wall, making webs crack onto it. Fise felt a burning pain in his chest, the air uselessly trying to escape his blocked lungs. His stamina was getting low, his muscles beginning to burn, not enough oxygen being put into them. Fise stood and immediately dodged a grab, jumping far away. The man quickly turned and got in position. They stared at each other for a bit, then charged.

A punch met by a block, used to jump over the opponent and land behind them before launching a punch countered by a sweep to the legs, which Fise made use of by landing on his arms and throwing 2 kicks, deflected and followed up with a strike to the side, dodged with a roll followed by a swerve to not get hit by a kick, which was used to propel the man forwards when it hit the floor again. The man's punch was met by a deflect, followed by a straight, countered with a grab and over shoulder throw, stopped by kicking the back of the knees, countered with an elbow driven into the diaphragm. Then by another and another, before finishing with a roundhouse kick, driving into Fise's middle, and making his lungs almost burst, before he was flown through the air into boxes, crumpling under his weight, the shelf holding it breaking and making the whole thing break down onto him. Dust rose.

The man took in some breaths, before spitting, his aura burning. But he didn't have time, punctuated by something flying at him. He immediately jumped away. A meteor landed where he was, throwing up dust and black flames. The cloud blossomed and the man prepared to run around and flank it when a dark fire ball shot out. He dodged.

"I've been told about you." he said and backed away. A small silence befell the warehouse. It was broken the same as the concrete under Andrew's legs. A black comet flew out from the dust, and the man moved his body to dodge. A hand wrapped in abyss colour flames missed him by a few centimeters. Before he had any time to get away, a punch flew at his nose, and he swerved in time to still have a face, then a kick he jumped followed by another he rolled over, and then he was met with an upper cut he dodged by jumping high over the boy. The upper cut ended, the fist staying in the air, the other quickly rising upwards, engulfing itself in a void, and shooting it out. A cloud of nothingness spread towards the man, and engulfed him.

The fire exploded, sticking onto the man's aura which he immediately blew away from him. Before Andrew could launch another assault, the man landed on top of a shelf, making supplies drop to the floor. He couldn't get close to the fire, and that means he must rely on speed. He coiled his legs and jumped. Or tried to, before something ripped through his leg, from the back of the thigh, to the knee, making the man fall off the shelf. He was met with a fist covered in burning nothingness. Aura burst out, and he managed to barely dodge, landing under Andrew. He didn't hesitate.

"Close."

A palm caught Andrew in the neck, which he retaliated against with a kick, sending the man flying, tumbling on the floor ablaze. The man quickly spread his aura and split it, letting the fire fall to the floor. He stood holding onto a shelf with one arm, the other holding his bleeding side. Andrew stepped towards him then fell to his knees.

"Carotid arteries supply oxygen to the brain," the man told him."Therefore, them being blocked leads to dizziness," Andrew tried to stand, but fell to the ground .

"Loss of balance, headaches, loss of vision. Weakness in one side of the body." Andrew tried to look at the man but couldn't. His head was light, and it hurt. How did this man...?

'Did he defeat Fise this quick? Did he do it like this? Shit, does that mean... that Fise might have- no. He was fighting for a while against the man and was launched into a shelf. His artery didn't get blocked.' Andrew looked over at the rubble Fise was in, and saw a head poke out, his lips moving, but nothing coming out.

Fise had to tell Andrew. Or Ann.

'His ability, I got it, I just need to tell them!' He looked around.

The man turned away, looking from where the shot to his leg came from. He blinked and stepped to the left, something grazing his right arm. He saw her, a girl up on the elevated area. He jumped up onto the nearest shelf, then onto the next.

'This shall be a good enough distraction. 3 dead lamps. Good enough.'

Ann lifted another wooden plank from the pile, leaning it up against the railing. She looked past it at the Guarded racing her way. 2 more jumps and she'll be dead. She had to hit him. She looked back at the board and breathed. Her gate expanded letting in more and more mana. 3 minutes was the maximum she had. 2 shots was the maximum she had. 1 chance was the maximum she had. She drew her hand back, tightly held in a fist. Then she punched forward. It impacted the wood, her hand spinning just before it hit, her index finger propped forwards by her thumb, and then shot. The wooden board shattered, the railing bending under the force. The man's left arm was gone from the elbow.

The man bared his teeth, and yelled, moving his hand back before throwing an aura punch. Ann ducked immediately. The man bent the aura punch and made it go lower. It scratched against Ann's back, followed by a surprised shout. The man looked closer at her.

'Does she not have an aura?'

He smiled. His aura bulged to one side, and an aura punch flew out, bending around the walls of the warehouse. Ann set up her second board, readying her shot. Andrew looked on, his eyes widening. His vision was blurry and beginning to dim, but he saw the aura punch. It was aimed for her head. He tried to stand, but just flopped back down. It was almost at her.

"Doooodge!"

Ann immediately ducked and put her hands over her head. A box crumpled and the wall cracked to her left. She breathed a sigh of relief, immediately getting back to preparing a shot, but suddenly a sharp pain hit her head. She clutched it in surprise and when her hand came back down it was wet with blood. She swore and looked at the man, and her eyes widened. He was one jump away. She didn't think, couldn't afford to. If he got to her she couldn't do anything, he could hit harder than her, better than her, faster, stronger. She pulled her hand back, and hit the wood. A shot blasted out, revealing her shot hitting shelves. She looked up and saw him flipping over her, before landing, coiling to jump at her.

Creation magic had 3 main branches: Offensive, Defensive and Supportive. Offensive was used to attack, such as her gun art. Supportive was to heal or help. And defensive...

She clapped her hands together and concentrated. She felt the pain increase, her magic bending in ways she wasn't used to, stretching her mana channels. Her gate strained. She breathed in, remembering, inhaling old memories.

'Breathe Ann.'

Her hands separated it and the man's punch git the target. Or so it seemed. The man's eyes widened. Between her hands were strands of blue lightning, mana, stretched back as if it was a rope under the force of the man's punch. Ann was moved back and hit the railing, but the punch rebounded back and she kept her life. But she was over the railing now, her head light, and vision blurry. Landing her, she lost consciousness, a crack reverberating in the warehouse. The man looked at his hand. It wasn't injured, he could still use it. He walked to the railing and looked down. He smiled.

Then something hit him in the face. His feet blurred, trying to find stable footing, his arms flayed around, making him more imbalanced due to his missing one. He caught the railing and lifted himself from a fall. Looking around he saw Fise. His hand was on his neck, blood streaming through the fingers.

"You...!" he shouted, sounding a but weird.

He pointed at the man, a bloody pencil in his hand, before dropping it to the floor.

"Aren't gonna kill," he coughed blood, some spraying out the hole, staining the ground and his clothes."My friends."

He removed his hand fully from his neck and the man saw the last of the black flames dissappear before his aura activated. The man ran. He jumped off and sprinted through the shelves. Fise was surprised, taking a bit of time to react and go after the man, who had reached the door Andrew was protecting before and the one through which they entered. He opened it and exited, closing it behind him. Fise got to the door opening it and going after him, except it wouldn't open. Fise didn't have time.

And time stood still.

The man wouldn't risk another battle, nit in his state, he had to get back after all, it was time, maybe even a little overdue. He Closed the door behind him, they'll have to smash it open, which should take a while, especially considering how they didn't use their auras at a-

A broken door slammed into his back, bursting a kidney and cracking one of his vertebrae. He fell to the concrete ground, scratching off the skin on his forearms and elbow. He turned and kicked the door off of him, flinching as the 'bullet' wound sent pain shooting up his leg. He flipped onto his feet and kept running to the road. The area around the warehouse was mostly green space, but on the road factories and other warehouses surrounded it. They should arrive at any moment.

A car slid onto the road and was accelerating towards him. 10 seconds, he will have to run for 10 more seconds. He stood and ran. He expanded his aura, and felt 2 hits on his back, from that kid. When the door blew off the hinges, he thought the kid may be stronger than he let off, but why were his aura punches this weak? Was the door his ability? 9 seconds.

8 seconds.

7 seconds.

He retracted his aura, realising nothing was hitting him and it was making him slower.

6 seconds.

Andrew had exited on the other side, holding the wall and moving on the perimeter. He rounded a corner and saw the man running. He though he heard a car, but it wasn't important. The man needed to be stopped, and maybe questioned. Andrew raised his arm straight, before putting 2 fingers on his upper arm.

"Void Spark!"

He slid his fingers down and a small spark built on the end. It flew off his hand. His arm ripped open and blood came out, flowing down his arm from the force.

The man turned around in time to see it. A small, black star, like a spark, flying towards him he couldn't dodge, he just had to stop it. It was about to hit his leg so he put more of his aura in there. It hit him but his aura swallowed it. He was safe and put more power to running, cutting off the aura to not spread. His leg was gone, engulfed in an orb of fire darker than the midnight sky. His aura fueled it more. He fell again, this time not being able to get back again. He felt the fire spread quickly on him, taking his other leg and building up to his hip. He had to stop it, the car was almost here. His aura exploded.

2 seconds.

Fise ran after the man, but he was fast. Fise was losing him, and his throat hurt, and made a weird whistling noise that sent shivers down his spine.

'I need to do something!' he thought, but he couldn't do anything. His aura punches were ineffective and his ability was on cooldown. That's when Andrew hit the man, and an orb of flames swallowed the man's leg whole. Fise was reminded of the forest, of the feeling of nothingness then pain. A gun was pointed at him. He dodged, feeling the bullets whizz past him. A car had arrived, and from the window was a girl with a pistol. Not only a pistol, but Fise recognised it, for he had to see it everytime he went to practice.

It was a railgun. And it shot again.